Summit Program

This is the archive of the 2016 Summit program. All sessions were video recorded by volunteers. We recorded the sessions to share the collective knowledge and work with others. Go to videos of sessions.

Introduction

The Mobility Solutions Summit had two program tracks - Shared-use Mobility and Better Practices.

The Summit explored innovative mobility solutions. It’s organized around two themes—shared-use mobility and better practices. Later the sessions were organized into five groups: shared-use mobility, mobility management, public policy/planning, mobility tech and special topics. ​

· Shared-use mobility includes bikeshare, carshare, and ride-sourcing enabled by innovative technology and business models.

· Better Practices showcases strategies for improved service delivery, customer experience, and sustainability. Better Practices includes a wide spectrum of topics from active transportation to service strategies to state policies.

The Summit will share knowledge of mobility concepts and how they can be applied in urban areas, and rural communities in Upstate NY.

SU1. Approaches for Small and Medium Sized Cities: Lessons from Carsharing Veterans

This panel session focuses on adapting shared-use mobility systems to unique needs of small and medium sized cities and rural communities. The discussion features panelists hailing from non-profit carsharing, which has been at the center of broader efforts to grow shared mobility among small and mid-sized cities, including efforts to integrate with bikesharing, support ride-splitting,volunteer transportation pilots, and leverage opportunities for multimodal payment integration.​

Moderator: Creighton Randall, Program and Development Director, Shared-Use Mobility Center

​Flexible bikeshare systems do not operate on a dock-based model but instead allow users to park out of dock using on-board locking systems and tech.

In this roundtable session, facilitators will both expand upon operator interviews conducted earlier this year as well as dive into questions previously collected from participants so that panelists can drill down on specific facets of new models for flexible bikeshare implementation in small and midsize cities, as well as potential, emerging business models and scaling strategies for flexible bikeshare. Panelists will also discuss different implementation, funding, and operational roles of MPOs and transit agencies as well as private vendors.

The first part of this session discusses Uber and Lyft as ride-hailing services which use smartphone apps to provide rides to customers and transact payments. Both services want to expand to Upstate New York. Before digging into complex issues of employment, public safety, pricing, competition with taxis, etc., it is important to understand the nuts and bolts of the services.The second part of this session discusses New Yorkers for Ride-Sharing, a coalition of community groups, businesses, civic organizations, advocates and regular citizens who are advocating for affordable, reliable, and safe transportation alternatives for Central, Upstate, and Western New York. Tech-based ride-hailing platforms may fill important gaps for residents where public transportation is limited and serve as a flexible source of income for cash-strapped New Yorkers.

​Volunteer Transportation Organizations (VTOs) and similar community-based models provide a valuable and cost-effective service to clients – often elderly and/or disabled individuals – who have limited ability to access public transportation. These organizations are often grassroots in nature and value helping their home communities. However, some may also be willing to provide rides for Medicaid patients or take on other contract work, and expand their service areas in order to do so. VTOs vary dramatically in size, from around 50 clients to 12,000 clients; this suggests that the VTO model may be viable in communities of any size. Panelists will speak about how they see shared mobility technologies supplementing and enhancing their services and the role of innovation in volunteer transportation.

SU5. Making the Case: Shared Mobility as Transit in Small & Midsize Cities

​Shared-use mobility enables people to use a vehicles on an occasional basis as an extension of transit service – but how does that translate for small market transit systems? While all transit agencies are faced with a range of mobility opportunities and barriers to increasing ridership and optimizing routes, the challenge seems particularly acute for less dense cities and rural communities. Whether grappling with the emergence of e-hailing companies or pondering their reinvention as a full spectrum mobility service, transit agencies have a lot to consider. This workshop session will allow for participants to learn and engage on the topic of implementing shared mobility programs and public-private mobility partnerships. Innovative shared-use mobility “champions” can often face barriers, as well as new opportunities when trying to connect and partner with shared mobility providers.

What is the VTC and how does it thrive? A description of the business of the largest volunteer driver program in New York State. www.VolunteerTransportationCenter.org

​Speaker: Sam Purington, Executive Director, VTC

​MM2.Creating Regional Mobility Services: Vision Meets Reality

What challenges are faced when developing or implementing regional mobility services? How do you transition from local to regional services? The session will discuss pilot projects for inter-county bus service, community mobility education, volunteer driver programs, ridesharing, and more.

​Initial insights from surveys by and with people with limited transportation options about transportation challenges & solutions, with a special focus on rural poor, recent immigrants, and people re-entering community life after prison or jail.

MM4. Lessons from English-as-a-Second Language staff about teaching students how to use mobility services

​ESL teachers and support staff communicate with Limited English Proficient (LEP) students daily. How easy is it to teach students to use mobility services? How could mobility services improve their ease of use for all people in their communities?

​Imagine selecting and paying for mobility services when you need it. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) uses smartphone apps, other new technologies and collaborative partnerships to create systems of seamless mobility services. That’s the vision, and it is becoming a reality here and in Europe. The presentation will focus on the opportunities associated with this mobility solution. See Smile - Simply Mobile from Vienna, Austria and Mobility Shop from Hannover, Germany.

​Speaker: Carol Schweiger, President at Schweiger Consulting LLC and Chairperson, New England ITS

MM6. Visions of Mobility in 2025

​We’ve time warped to 2025. What’s happening with mobility, mobility management and why? After a rapid round among panelists, open discussion follows.

​In Jan. 2014, the City of Ithaca’s new sidewalk policy went into effect. The program moves away from burdening individual property owners with the entire cost of sidewalk installation and maintenance for sidewalks adjoining their property, towards the creation of 5 Sidewalk Improvement Districts (SID) funded by an annual sidewalk assessment fee. Results of the new policy will be discussed.

​The State of Massachusetts practices collaboration among state agencies to centralize how human services trips are procured and technical assistance and support for mobility management is provided. The speakers will discuss programs and lessons learned. See Massachusetts Brokerage and Coordination Model

​The challenge of increasing transit efficiency and integration with human service transportation are particularly significant in lower density urban and small urban areas. This session discusses US case studies on the benefits of the Swedish Service Route concept and the complementary benefits of developing informal transit hubs to promote the integration of local and regional transit services.

Speaker: Steve Fittante, Senior Associate, RLS & Associates, Inc.,

PP6. Open Policy Discussion

​This session provides time for open discussion on Massachusetts and Pennsylvania’s policy direction for coordinated program development and implementation, and reflect that change is possible, even in New York. Ideas from this session will feed into the Idea Café, the final session of the day.

​The speakers will discuss why this is a critical window of opportunity for mobility managers and operators to engage health care providers to plan how mobility services will be integrated with emerging healthcare systems by 2020.

Who carries the ball for RURAL mobility management? Who’s the QB? Who does your game plan? What forces have formed you and will likely change you. Any concussions come to mind? (Football references intended.) Audience participation encouraged.

National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating public & rural transit solutions in America through technical assistance, partner collaboration and FREE training and other transit industry products. The session will inform people about the full range of services RTAP provides.

​Real-time passenger information answers a critical question—Where’s my bus? Only the four Upstate NY regional transportation authorities offer this service on a system-wide basis. Other small urban and rural fixed-route and demand response systems are considering similar projects.

Joshua Garner will present look at the benefits, costs and lessons of deploying this service, for fixed-route and demand response services By CENTRO (Syracuse/Utica).

Further, Jerry Emanuel will discuss how Google Transit and GTFS can be used by smaller transit agencies to put their systems online using tools provided by National RTAP.

​“The Mobileye® Collision Avoidance System with Pedestrian and Cyclist Side-Sensing is the latest technological advancement for preventing vehicle-to-pedestrian incidents. Dynamic bus operating conditions in urban, suburban or rural environments demand the highest of visibility when approaching pedestrians, cyclists and complex bus turning patterns. The new multi-vision-sensor solution includes heavy-duty exterior vision sensors and housings capable of withstanding the rigors of bus operation and bus wash environments, while displaying driver alert information that is easily seen and understood.”